


Love saved us after all

by dreaminginmint



Series: LSUAA UNIVERSE [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Anxiety, Domestic Fluff, Falling In Love, First Love, Healing, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Multi, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Personal Growth, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-27
Updated: 2018-06-17
Packaged: 2018-12-07 17:01:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11627919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreaminginmint/pseuds/dreaminginmint
Summary: In a world where humans were in the bottom ranks in hierarchy, Tsukishima Kei had learned not to ask questions when a patient knocked at his door. And so he didn't when it knocked especially late this night.He didn't know what great impact that gawky boy with freckles would have on his life. If he did, maybe he had asked a bunch of questions that night, including how an angel could be so fond of a human.





	1. Day 1: a doctor and his new patient

**Author's Note:**

> Before anything I want to put a trigger warning on this:  
> Throughout the story, there will be multiple times where child abuse will be a topic as well as anxiety and depression both as a following of it and completely separate. Due to the world, it's set in and the professions of the characters there will be multiple descriptions of injuries and medical treatment.  
> Please decide for yourself if things like this bother you. This can get very heavy a times just as much as it can be lighthearted and happy. Just consider if it is for you.
> 
> If you decide to stay, I hope you enjoy your time in a world where love knows no borders and magic is in every corner!

In a world where humans were in the bottom ranks in hierarchy, Tsukishima Kei had learned not to ask questions when a patient knocked at his door. And so he didn't when it knocked especially late this night. 

The boy on the other side of the door looked about his own age. A little younger maybe. About eighteen, possibly nineteen.  
Kei didn't ask questions, but he observed as much as he could. Anything could be of help later on.  
His eyes seemed dull, feverish. A pink flush spread under his freckles. He was obviously in pain and the reason appeared to be his left forearm. It was loosely wrapped in a cloth, that had been a pure white once but was now stained by blood and other liquids.  
Kei stepped aside, wordlessly gesturing the boy to step through the little antechamber into the next room. The boy looked absolutely relieved, pressing his forearm a little closer to his chest. With his right hand, that was seemingly uninjured, he had been keeping his left wrist up, the hand resting on his right shoulder.  
Kei was closely following him, after carefully locking the door. Aside from his slightly gawky movements, the boy appeared rather human. Patients that came at this hour usually were not. His clothes looked too wealthy to be one of the kids of town as well. Something was off about him but that did not matter. Kei would treat him and they would part again. 

Every creature deserved treatment and as long as Kei had knowledge on the matter, he would never deny anyone that came to him. No matter who or what they were, where they came from or if they were able to pay him.  
Once he was standing in the room that was both kitchen and doctor’s room, the boy looked strangely lost. Still, neither of them had said a single word, but Kei pressed a hand on one of his cheeks and then his forehead like they had always known each other. He drew his hand back in disbelief.  
If his counterpart was human, his insides must have been cooked by now. How was he even standing in front of him that steadily with that insane fever? 

“Lay down over there”, Kei pointed towards the doctor's couch on one side of the room.  
He got a smile back that was too cheerful to belong into this setting, “I prefer sitting but thank you.”  
The boy made what seemed to be a clumsy attempt to take a step back and turn at the same time but somehow successfully made it towards the doctor's couch. Just to sit on it, his legs hanging over the edge while keeping his back as straight as humanly possible. It was a strange posture but there were other things to worry about right now.  
“Don't thank me before I've done anything.”  
Kei pulled a chair in front of his patient, silently asking to inspect his arm by offering his own hand. A little hesitantly the boy placed his left wrist in Kei’s hand, who immediately started removing the cloth.  
It revealed a burn that started a little under his elbow and stretched out until just a couple centimeters above his wrist. It was mostly located on the inside of the arm but feathered out further at some points. Kei had never seen anyone with burns like that being this calm and collected.  
Luckily, he had shown signs of pain, which meant that the nerves in his arm were not harmed for the most part. The worst burns hurt the least.  
Although it must have been quickly cleaned since there were no traces of soot or other dirt, the wound was still radiating a lot of heat and must have wept on his way here.  
Kei let go of his wrist while standing up. “Keep it up”, he instructed, “above your heart.”  
His opposite raised his arm, a knowing expression on his face.  
“You haven’t been burned for the first time”, Kei stated. Useless interaction but most patients calmed down when there was at least some kind of conversation going on. Judging from the small sigh that came back, conversation was gladly seen here, too.  
“I have been a bunch of times, I was just never in need to see a doctor about it”, he answered. 

Kei had to prepare several things for the proper treatment and knew how to save time by starting with what took the most time to operate. He reappeared in front of the boy with a cup of fresh water in one hand and two powdery white pills in the other.  
“Painkillers and something to lower the fever.”  
The boy made a disgusted grimace while swallowing the pills, wrinkling his nose like a little kid.  
Kei could not help an amused grin, “Walking around with burns like that keeping a straight face but acting up at taking medicine. You’re a strange one.”  
The reaction he got was not what he had expected. The boy noticeably made himself smaller, seemingly losing confidence.  
“I’m sorry.”  
Thoughtfully Kei pushed his glasses up into place again, “I wasn't complaining.”

Suddenly, there was a smile tucking at the corners of the boy's lips and even though Kei would have sworn he did not care, he knew already that he liked that expression the most.  
He went off again to fill a large bowl with cold water.  
“Do you mind me talking?”, the boy asked in a strangely serious tone.  
Kei shook his head but quickly realized that the other would not notice, due to the way he was standing with his back turned towards him.  
“No, I don't mind”, he clarified.  
“They say you never ask questions because it doesn't matter to you who someone is, you just treat them, right?”  
This time the tone sounded way more lighthearted and curious. Kei turned around to approach him with the bowl and a small pot. He was one strange picture. His arm raised and his eyes big with curiosity, he looked more like a kid in school, eager to ask a question than someone that seriously needed medical treatment in the middle of the night.  
“Right”, Kei nodded to get him to continue.  
“But what if I care to get to know about you? Will you let me ask questions?”, he wondered.  
Well, that was a first to Kei. No one ever cared to get to know about him and he didn't mind that. It didn't matter. 

“You just asked a question”, he pointed out before sitting down again.  
To his surprise, the boy chuckled, “my bad.”  
That a boy could make such an adorable sound. He placed the bowl on the doctor's couch to the boy’s left.  
“I need to rinse that for a while”, he gave his patient a soft smile, “so ask me whatever and I'll decide whether I like to answer.”  
He got a thankful nod back before the boy placed his wrist in Kei's hand again, this time to keep it in place over the bowl.  
Kei filled the pot with water from the bowl, emptying it over the burn. That was going to take a while so he might as well just let the boy distract them. 

“An easy one first. What's your name?”  
“Tsukishima Kei. You can stick with Kei.”  
“Yamaguchi Tadashi. You can call me by my first name too”.  
Kei could literally feel the tension leaving the boy’s - Tadashi’s - body with every word. “It’s a pretty name”, Tadashi commented, “why does literally no one know when you're so well known?”  
Kei looked up and met Tadashi’s gaze directly for the first time. In the dim light of the room, his eyes looked black with little specks of gold and Kei’s first thought naturally went to night sky.  
“I'm known for my work”, he answered, “my name doesn't matter for that.”  
Tadashi seemed to be considering that for a moment and Kei used that opportunity to get a look at his face. He looked a lot better already, if that was possible, since the medication could not really be working yet. Kei tried to remember when the last time was that he had met someone with freckles, that suited them as well as him. He couldn't though.  
“I guess”, Tadashi concluded finally, not sounding happy about the response that he had gotten. He was silent for a moment and although Kei had his face turned towards the burn, he could feel his gaze on him. In the corner of his eyes, he caught Tadashi smiling softly before starting to look around.  
“You live on your own, don't you?”, his voice was more cheerful again.  
That boy went through emotions faster than Kei could keep up with but somehow it did not feel draining or annoying. Tadashi was rather easy to have around.  
“I do.”  
“Doesn't that get lonely?”  
It was sympathy in his tone.

 

It did. It did a lot. People passed through his life. They came and left as fast. They did not get attached and he did not either. They left their footprints in Kei’s mind but there were so many by now that noone’s were special in that mess.  
Kei shrugged, “it's always busy.”  
That wasn’t a lie.  
“There’s always someone in need, huh?”  
Still sympathy.  
“There is.”  
Kei stopped his movement to observe his work. He attentively ran his thumb over Tadashi’s wrist, that he was still holding, and then over the edge of the burn. It was about the same temperature by now. It wasn't going to get any better at this point. He put the pot down and reached for a clean cloth to dry the injury off carefully.  
He stood up and left once more to return with bandages and a small jar full of a watery gel that would help with the burn.  
He took his time with the application making sure it got absolutely everywhere.  
Tadashi was following every move with his eyes.  
“That feels nice actually”, he pointed out, sounding rather surprised.  
“I’d hope so”, Kei smiled while starting to wrap his forearm in the bandage.  
He checked that it wasn't too tight anywhere and sealed it.

“We’re done for today”, Kei announced.  
Tadashi slowly stood up, a mixture of confusion and concern on his face. Somehow he seemed nearly disappointed that Kei was finished.  
“Today?”, he repeated as a question.  
Kei stood up as well, taking the bowl with him to reuse it for his plants. He could not allow anything to go to waste.  
“I won't let you go anywhere tonight.”  
Was that relief in Tadashi's eyes? Kei wasn't sure. It didn't make sense to him.  
“You’re on heavy medication and that bandage won't hold up forever. Also it's the middle of the night and you're clearly not from here. I have a bed to spare for patients, take it.”  
It was clearly relief now. He didn't want to go home, did he? Tadashi was basically beaming and it was irritating Kei. He caught himself wanting to know more and that was concerning. He never cared for getting to know a patient but Tadashi was endearingly different.  
Tadashi bowed slightly, “thank you so much.”  
“Don't mention it.”  
Tadashi complained, “you said I shouldn't thank you before you've done anything and now that you've done so much you don't want to hear it either.”  
He wasn't wrong. Kei just didn't like people thanking him for doing his job. He wanted to help, he didn't need thanks.  
“Fine, you're welcome.”  
Kei turned around and approached the backdoor to get on the porch.  
“It's the first door on the right, coming from the antechamber. Get some sleep”, he instructed before stepping outside. 

Through the window, Kei watched Tadashi disappear into the room he had told him to use. After he had finished watering the plants, he went to clean up the rest.  
It had been a long day and now that he didn't have anything to take care of anymore, his bones got heavy with exhaustion. He couldn't help a big yawn on his way to his room.  
He had an interesting morning ahead with that freckled boy.


	2. Day 2: of shapeshifters, markets and family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So first of a trigger warning since there's a bit of blood and something that is too similiar to self harm to not mention it, as well as some light anxiety. 
> 
> Another thing:  
> I know this took forever but life happened and I had to take some breaks. This project is dear to my heart so I put quite a bit of research into it as well and I think I never had to look up so many words before. I'm still in a phase of getting used to writing this much english but here I present well over 6k for chapter 2. Enjoy!

Kei was an early bird by habit. He couldn't miss out on the advantages that being up early had, although the process of getting up truly was a pain.  
Kei had slept in a little today. However, it was still early when he stepped into the kitchen to make breakfast. Just not as early as usual.  
So far there hadn’t been any signs of Tadashi getting up. Maybe the whole thing had knocked him out more than he had shown yesterday. He had been strangely well for his condition. Everything about him was a little strange if Kei was honest.  
The way he moved. Kind of as if he was way bigger than he seemed. The fact that he had turned up at Kei’s door in the middle of the night in clothes that were too wealthy to need Kei for something like a burn. Occasionally Kei had patients that were from the rich upper class but usually for matters that were too complex for their court physicians. Or if they needed to hide something. Maybe Tadashi was one of the latter, who knew.  
It was strange, how he had worn a smile the majority of the time that felt too bright for the moment but somehow so genuine. And still, it just took one comment to throw him off so much he lost it.  
The strangest thing about him was by far that he had drawn in Kei so much without trying. 

Kei had not meant to get so lost in thoughts. Especially not about a patient. Of course, that was all that Tadashi was. Nothing more, nothing less.  
Luckily, his routine was so burned into his head that he was succesfully in the middle of making scrambled eggs, when he had collected his thoughts enough to focus on what he was doing. 

Breakfast was completely done, he had even roasted bread, when he finally heard quiet noises from the spare room and the door opening soon after.  
Kei looked up from the book he was reading over his plate. An efficient use of time.  
He found his patient standing in the door frame. Tadashi had a sleepy look on his face. He looked barely awake. Maybe because of that sleepy expression, the smile that appeared on his face, when their eyes met, was the most heartwarming thing Kei had seen in a while.  
Tadashi sure knew how to light up a room.  
Kei gestured at the full plate that was standing on the opposite end of the table, “you need to eat.”  
“You made breakfast?”  
A useless question but Kei nodded anyway. Tadashi happily took the empty chair, sitting strangely close to the front edge. He was smiling at his plate like it was the greatest treasure he had ever known.  
“That looks great”, he looked up again, giving Kei that bright smile, “thank you.”  
Kei couldn't suppress the pleased look on his face. He couldn't suppress an ironic comment either.  
“The taste is usually the most important thing with food, you know?”  
Tadashi giggled.  
“Oh really? How did I live all my life before you enlightened me?”, he joked and shoved the first forkful into his mouth.  
Kei grinned. He chuckled even.  
When was the last time someone had made him laugh that easily about something so stupid? He couldn't really remember. Not that he tried that hard. 

Kei turned back to the book in his left hand. After silently eating for a while, Tadashi tried to pick up a conversation again.  
He read the title out loud, “a full anatomical study on all known humanoids”.  
“Sounds a little heavy for breakfast”, he commented.  
Kei turned his head in disbelief.  
“That language is basically dead.”  
It was an old human language that had once been the native language in this area before the angels had taken over, bringing a new national language with them. There were species that had stuck with their native languages, anyway. Old, powerful species. Communities solidly established. Apparently, humans had thought of themselves like that too at some point but they had turned out not to be. They lost theirs through the centuries, together with other traditions.  
Kei was able to read it but it had taken him years to get the hang of it. The letters gave him a headache. He was only used to angelic ones. He was far too young to remember human traditions this old. Tadashi had read it effortlessly.  
He kept his eyes on his plate, almost nervously, “let’s say I'm rather talented at learning languages.”  
Judging by all Kei knew so far, Tadashi had probably gone through better education than him. He must have grown up with greater opportunities than the kids here.  
Kei pushed his glasses up again.  
“I'm not. So yes this is a lot but it's useful”, he turned the book to show Tadashi the page he had been reading, “there are a lot of illustrations so it's not too hard.”  
Tadashi nodded thoughtfully and silence fell over them once more.

It was surprisingly comfortable to spend the morning together. They ate mostly quietly. From time to time, Tadashi started some chatter about unimportant things with no substance but Kei could appreciate that.  
It was talking without needing to open up from either side.  
After they had finished their breakfast, Kei insisted on treating the burn. He cleaned it, reapplied the medication and wrapped it back up.  
The worried spark in Tadashi’s eyes did not go by unnoticed.  
“It looks a lot better already”, Kei tried to reassure him.  
He didn't just say that to calm him. It was true. It was healing up unexpectedly well for the fact that it only been some hours. It was quite impressive if Kei was honest.  
It seemed to work at least.  
“It doesn't hurt much anymore either, that's a good sign, right?”  
His voice was calmer than he had looked before Kei's words.  
“It is.” It wasn't always with burns but it sure was here. “So no painkillers?”  
His voice was just a little higher towards the end. It wavered somewhere between a question and a statement.  
Tadashi agreed, “rather not.”

There was a knock at the door before they even had the chance to part. Both of them got up but Kei went to open the door alone.  
Tadashi was left standing awkwardly where he was.  
The arrival was quite a bit smaller, a rather slender figure. Almost weak looking. The round cat ears and tail told another story. Kei wasn't too knowledgeable with cats but he was sure those belonged to a mountain lion. Not a weak creature in any sense.  
Kei hadn't seen a shapeshifter this early in a very long time. Maybe never. They prefered the comfort of the night. The tribe that was native here consisted mostly of feline predators of all kinds. They were practically exclusively night active and since they kept their eyes in either form, the night was far more attractive.  
Although the arrival avoided eye contact, he started to explain himself. 

“We have a severe problem with an unknown illness. It started with some adults that could somehow fight it but we have a sick baby now and he might not make it.”  
The air in the house got suddenly heavy, weighing everyone down. There was nothing left of the comfort of the morning.  
Kei stepped aside to let the shapeshifter step in.  
“I'm gonna need a description of the symptoms and as precisely as possible.”  
Luckily the boy came with quite a lot of informations that Kei could use. Since he couldn't pinpoint what it was, he was as cautious as possible. Babies needed other treatments as adults as well and honestly Kei had just handled a single child of shapeshifters before.  
Tadashi was listening to his best as well. Asking questions where Kei didn't. He proved to be very useful and rather intelligent. Kei couldn't deny that he was glad to have him there.  
In the end Kei had collected a variety of medication but he couldn't do much besides picking light treatments for the symptoms. He couldn't heavily medicate a baby. Especially not if he wasn't there to watch his patient. 

Kei was about to close the meeting off when Tadashi stepped in. He looked uneasy, no sign of his usual smile. However, he met Kei's eyes steadily.  
“I know I'm asking for a lot but I need you trust me and patch me up afterwards.”  
Kei frowned. He didn't like a single thing about that but he obliged. He did not know what made him trust him but he did.  
“I'm gonna need a little bottle or glass that he can take with him and some bandages to stop a bleeding.”  
Wait.  
This took a turn completely against anything Kei stood for.  
“I promise I know what I'm doing. Just this one time I really don't want you to ask”  
Kei sighed. He hated this but Tadashi didn't look like there was anything to convince him otherwise. He got up looking for what Tadashi had asked for while he left the room. 

He returned with the little bag he had with him yesterday. He drew a knife out of it.  
Taking a deep breath, he positioned himself. He stood firmly, his left hand over the glass, the knife in the right. He closed his eyes, mumbled something that Kei could not understand and ran the blade along the inside of his left hand. 

It was like Kei's eyes lost focus for a second, seemingly without a reason. He could have sworn he caught a glimpse of gold light where the blade had cut but as soon as his sight was back into focus, all he saw was blood dripping down Tadashi's hand.  
And it was a lot for how shallow the cut must be. The glass was full soon and Kei reacted quickly. The moment he had decided there was enough, he pulled Tadashi's hand towards him and pressed a cloth in it.  
Tadashi turned towards the shapeshifter, “tell Kuroo that it's a gift from Tooru’s student. He’ll know how to use it properly.”  
At the mention of the names the shapeshifter seemed to ease a little. He nodded thankfully and Tadashi managed an encouraging smile.  
Kei instructed him to keep the cloth pressed on his hand himself and let go to put a lid on the glass and place in a bag together with everything the shapeshifters could possibly need.  
For the first time their eyes met. A warm and clear amber. Full of care for the world.  
“If anything happens, you either need to bring the sick to me or the other way ‘round”, Kei nearly commanded.  
Leaving no space to disagree.  
Another nod, “we can't thank you enough.”  
Kei shook his head.  
“You can judge that once the baby is fine again.” 

As quickly as he had come, the shapeshifter was gone again.  
An unexpected wave of irritation hit Kei.  
What was Tadashi thinking?  
It annoyed him that he would do something like this without explaining himself. It threw him even more off that he cared so much. His head was spinning and he didn't know where to put all these shattered pieces of thoughts.  
He pulled Tadashi's hand back to him, maybe just a little too harsh. He lifted the cloth to find that the cut had stopped bleeding and reached for a piece of cotton drenched in alcohol to disinfect it.  
Tadashi flinched at the sensation and Kei's mouth worked faster than he liked it to.  
“It’s your own fault.”  
His tone, just a little too icy.  
Tadashi withdrew his hand abruptly and took an unsteady step back. Kei's heart cramped together as he got back to his senses.  
Tadashi's voice was barely a whisper but obviously hurt, “did I upset you?”  
Kei didn't mean to scare him like that.  
He kept his voice low as well.  
“No, you didn't. You worried me but I know you just did what you could to help.”  
Kei was getting lost in how insecure Tadashi's expression looked. He had done that and wished he could go back in time.  
“Why would you worry?”  
His voice was shaking just a tiny bit but Kei noticed, making him curse internally about what an idiot he could be.  
“You asked me to trust you and I did. I maybe don't look like it but I care.” When had been the last time that he was this honest with someone? “I want you to be happy and healthy and a new injury doesn't help with that.”  
Although Tadashi seemed to have lost some of his tension, he still kept quiet.  
“I’m sorry, I didn't watch my behaviour well enough.”  
Genuinely apologising was not something Kei usually did either.  
He tried to put a smile on but it probably wasn't very convincing. He offered his hand again. He wanted to take a step forward but contained himself.  
“I promised to treat you. Will you still let me do that?” 

Just one corner of Tadashi's mouth raised. It looked like he didn't want to smile but couldn't help it. All the tension fell off him and he ended up with a smirk on his face.  
“You asked a question.”  
Kei grinned as relief flooded through him.  
“Thank you for pointing that out.”  
His voice was ironic but there was no hiding the tint of gladness.  
Still a little unsure, Tadashi closed the distance again by stepping forward and placing his hand back in Kei's. Tadashi's hand in Kei's seemed to be becoming their thing.  
The cut looked bad for how little pressure Tadashi had put on it. It wasn't deep but it looked like it was going to take a while to heal. Kei didn't even notice his own sigh.  
“It's fine”, Tadashi tried to cheer him up, “it doesn't hurt much.”  
“You are hurt, Tadashi. You don't need to make me feel better.”  
Kei did appreciate it although he did not really understand why Tadashi was doing it. He couldn't tell him that though.  
“You just looked so…”, Tadashi paused, “I don't know, I'm sorry.”  
Kei had just finished wrapping the bandage so he carefully let go of his hand. He looked up to meet Tadashi's eyes with a tender smile. Something Kei had saved for special occasions.  
“Kei?”, Tadashi mumbled, just loud enough to be heard, “is this it? Am I supposed to leave now?”  
Special occasions like his protective instincts going off because of a fragile, hurt boy that was scared of leaving, apparently.  
Distress, Kei noted. He didn't like that expression at all. 

For a moment, Kei searched for words. He didn't want to be too careless again. An idea struck him.  
“You don't look like you have ever been to the midnight market.”  
Tadashi looked puzzled but agreed, “I haven't.”  
“Look”, Kei suggested, “yesterday you were eager to thank me. You turned out to be quite useful earlier as well. And I need to go anyway. You could come with me and help with my errands.”  
Tadashi nodded seriously but Kei wasn't finished yet, “you just need to consider that it's going to be really late when we're finished and I can't let you go anywhere then so you'll have to stay another night.”  
Tadashi's smile was back on his face.  
“Thank you.”  
Kei turned away and started cleaning up the mess they had made on the table.  
“I’m just using you in my favor.”  
In the corner of his eyes, Kei caught Tadashi still smiling softly to himself.  
“Of course”, he whispered in a tone that made clear he had gotten Kei's true intention right. 

Some hours, a meal and two warm jackets later, the two were on their way.  
The midnight market wasn't far from Kei's home. His little house stood at the outer north of the town. Where the last few houses of town seamlessly blend into the first few trees of the woods.  
They had to walk just a bit further into a part where narrow, shaby houses stood and the air got thicker packed with mystery and magic.  
Thicker than it would be anywhere else in this seemingly average human town.  
Humans weren’t capable of magic. No matter how hard they tried, they would never come further than brewing some mediocre potions or getting a spirit to talk to them through specifically made objects.  
And that talking about talented individuals.  
What made this place so magical weren't the people that lived in this town, it was the species that lived close enough to offer their services and products to whoever came across and had something to offer in exchange.  
Whatever your heart desired, there was a realistic chance to find it here.

They came to a stop when the first alley full of stalls appeared in front of them.  
Kei was no stranger to this place. He knew where to find what he needed. Half an hour and he could be out of here again.  
But Tadashi looked like he was having the time of his life seeing all these new things and they hadn't even entered yet.  
A dark aura wavered over the market. It wasn't necessarily illegal what happened here but it wasn't necessarily legal either. It was somewhere in the grey zone in between and that's how everything felt here. A place like this knew no black or white, no good or evil, no right or wrong. It was all somewhere in between.  
Somewhere between your body telling you that you shouldn't be there and your heart never wanting to leave.  
Tadashi did not look intimidated in the slightest and that's what made Kei cautious. That was an abnormal reaction to a place like this. At least if you have never been in touch with it.  
Kei just couldn't get rid of the feeling in his gut that something was off about Tadashi. That thought had Kei both unsettled and excited.  
Images of Tadashi wandering off and getting lost flashed before Kei's eyes and as an easy solution he offered him his left hand.  
“I’d prefer you not getting lost”, Kei explained and readjusted his glasses with the other hand.  
Tadashi didn't hesitate as long as Kei would have expected. Actually he seemed rather comfortable with that suggestion.  
He beamed up to Kei and intertwined their fingers, “where to first?”  
His hand was a little smaller than Kei's and warmer. Comfortably warm in the cold night.  
Kei began to walk while telling Tadashi what he had planned, “I have some specific things to pick up but you can't forget some personal entertainment and I bet you'd like to see this part most.”  
Just as he said that he softly bumped their shoulders together to make him turn.  
Tadashi's jaw dropped at the sight before him.  
They had just passed four or five stalls run by humans so far. Mostly fabric and clothes, some books scattered in there. It obviously was not a coincidence that the first stalls were this unimpressive and harmless.  
What stretched out before them now was different. 

It was louder, livelier.  
It was the part that lived off making more or less exotic plants and animals available to anyone.  
If there was anything special about a creature, it was probably at display here or someone was ready to provide it at request. Tadashi was the one that started moving again first this time.  
He tucked at Kei's hand to get his attention, “I want to look there.”  
The stall Tadashi was pointing at was packed with all kinds of exotic plants. Bioluminescent mushrooms made it stand out specifically from the others. It did look rather interesting. Almost mesmerizing. Kei understood why Tadashi was drawn to it. He was as well.  
It was run by two girls. From afar, and while mostly focusing on the plants, Kei had caught himself thinking they might be human for a second. But as they got closer, he noticed that they were clearly not. 

The skin of the taller one was a light green all over, melting into a darker green at each of her joints, giving her a doll-like appearance. Her hair was a pitch black, matching her eyes that entirely lacked any white.  
The shorter one had a rose tint to her. Her eyes were a solid color as well. A brown like the bark of a tree. Starflowers were braided into her light blond hair.  
Nymphs.  
Tadashi's grip tightened for a second as she beamed at him once she had picked up on their interest.  
Kei stole a quick glance at Tadashi and found him slightly flushed, mumbling something that sounded a lot like “geez she's cute.”  
Kei could barely hold back a chuckle. As if that wasn't the purest thing he had seen in forever. 

They stopped in front of the stall and the first thing that seemed to draw Tadashi's attention were a few pots with white flowers. “Those are skeleton flowers, right?”, he turned towards the blonde with an amazed smile.  
Kei loosened his grip a little, he tried to make sure that Tadashi knew he could let go of his hand if he wanted to. It would paint the wrong picture if Tadashi was trying to impress a pretty nymph while holding a human’s hand. Kei was not really looking at their hands, his eyes weren't completely focused. He just stared at the air between them.  
He could not really grasp that the Tadashi that was so surely holding his hand right now, was the same that had just been so scared of him only because of some harsh words.  
Tadashi was carrying quite a burden, wasn't he?  
Kei had just seen tiny pieces of it but he was convinced that Tadashi was hurt deeper than just his skin.  
However, that was none of his business. He was already offering more than normal. He tried to tell himself he would have done that for anyone and Tadashi had nothing special about him but that wasn't entirely true. 

Tadashi squeezed his fingers and pulled Kei out of his thoughts.  
“Kei, look!”, the nymph had taken a metal watering can and let some water rain onto the flower petals, which slowly turned transparent, “I've only read about them, that's so amazing.”  
Tadashi was glowing with that childish joy and it was heavily contagious.  
“They really are interesting”, Kei agreed.  
Tadashi scrunched his nose, “interesting is too plain.”  
“They’re just flowers.”  
Again, not really what Kei had meant. Of course they were just flowers, but Tadashi was so impressed and Kei was so talented at ruining that.  
Tadashi seemed like he didn't really understand Kei's point and shrugged, “and we're just creature.”  
He said that as if it was the most obvious thing in the world but he left not only Kei but also the two Nymph quite stunned.  
That thought was not obvious. Not in the society they were living in. It was entirely built on the thought that angels were superior and humans the definition of inferior. Other species ranked somewhere in between, depending on their power and importance to angels.  
Kei believed in what Tadashi had said but his opinion didn't matter in that system. He didn't know how much Tadashi's mattered but clearly more than his. 

Kei had never been someone who showed his emotions openly. He was too professional for that and maybe a little too closed off, as well. This time, his astonishment was clearly written on his face.  
“Point for you”, Kei admitted.  
Tadashi just smiled in victory and turned back to admiring the flowers.  
He really wasn't aware of the weight of his words. He seemed like someone who simply said what he believed was right.  
Kei had trouble following that. He kind of envied that way of handling things. 

Tadashi went on like nothing ever happened.  
“Kei!”, he called his name like a child on his birthday and Kei had to admit it was melting his heart a little to see him this happy, “have you ever seen one of these?”  
He pointed at a pot that was standing on the right end of the stall. Small strands of smoke were rising up from it. Instead of potting soil there live coals in it. It was obviously a carnivorous plant. One from the depths of hell.  
Kei shook his head, “no, never.”  
Tadashi reached out towards the plant that immediately seemed to pick up on that movement and somehow seemed cautious if that was the right term for a plant.  
“Be careful their bite hurts badly”, the blonde nymph’s warning made Tadashi stop for a moment.  
“Oh I know”, Tadashi assured, “but like most beings they are nice if you treat them right.” 

He reached out completely and did what had to be the plant equivalent of scratching a cat under its chin.  
Kei had never seen a happier plant. He wasn't even sure what a happy plant looked like. Even carnivorous plants were nothing but a mouth. They didn't have expressions but just as it had looked cautious earlier, it looked happy now.  
Its head was leaned back and the two big leaves were shaking like a dog that was wagging its tail.  
Tadashi chuckeled, “you like that, don't you?”  
Kei did doubt that the plant really understood him but somehow it seemed even more excited.  
When Tadashi tried to withdraw his hand, the plant lightly curled its leaves around it, keeping it in place.  
The blonde nymph giggled and the features of the taller one relaxed into an amused smile.  
“He doesn't even like you that much, Hitoka”, she joked.  
He? The plant?  
The blonde, Hitoka apparently, pouted at her dramatically, “I’m just not used to hell plants.”  
The taller one was back to a more serious expression now. She cupped Hitoka's rose cheek with green hand and moved their faces towards each other to rub the tips of their noses together.  
Their colors complimented each other perfectly.  
“I know, sunshine”, she noted, barely loud enough for Kei to understand. 

Kei turned his attention back to Tadashi, who was still happily petting the plant.  
The carnivorous plant from hell.  
That was definitely something different.  
Again, Kei wondered why Tadashi didn't have any scruple with things like that.  
Although it had turned out okay, there had been so many red flags that he had bluntly ignored.  
“Alright little buddy”, Tadashi addressed the plant in a voice like he was talking to a toddler, “I’d love to do that all night but we'll have to get going. There's business that needs to be done.”  
The plant let go of Tadashi's hand, seemingly against it's will. Or his? Kei was a little confused about that if he was honest. He had never seen anything comparable. 

Tadashi made clear that he was ready to leave the stall. He gave the two nymphs a bright smile.  
“Thank you for letting us admire your plants”, he looked directly at Hitoka, “and I'm sure that little hell flower will be your friend in no time!”  
Hitoka’s smile grew and she waved cheerfully at both of them, “Our pleasure and take care.”  
Kei and the other nymph simply shared a brief nod, before Tadashi and Kei left to continue their journey. 

They had gotten a few stalls further when Tadashi sighed a little. Not a sad or exhausted sigh, a dreamy one.  
“They were a cute couple, don't you think?”  
That nose kiss flashed before Kei's eyes, his mother used to do that when he was a child.  
“I guess they were.”  
Tadashi must have caught Kei smiling absently to himself because he was staring a bit surprised. Kei obviously noticed and frowned at him.  
“What?”  
Immediately he regretted how harsh he had sounded but Tadashi did not seem to mind this time.  
Kei could not really tell but he thought Tadashi's cheeks reddened just a tiny bit. Barely noticeable in the dim light.  
“You just looked really pretty, that's all.”  
It was safe to say that Kei was indeed blushing. Furiously. And he was praying no one would notice.  
Awkwardly he pushed his glasses into place.  
Why would Tadashi say something like this? Out of nowhere?  
It wasn't even a big deal to him. He was already back to curiously looking around, trying to absorb everything.  
This boy was like a book written in a language Kei could only hardly make sense of and he got each chapter at a different time, completely out of order. 

They went on with their trip. Still hand in hand, Tadashi seemingly unbothered and Kei busy overthinking. A skill he had perfected over the years.  
Tadashi went to pet a random snake that he thought looked “stunning” with its silver and icy blue pattern.  
Kei picked up some ingredients for medicine that a special kind of insects provided.  
Tadashi held a young salamander in his hand which made a flame not bigger than a match and told it that “he would make dragons jealous one day”.  
Kei bought some special mushrooms. Some to eat and some for medical reasons.  
They passed all kinds of captivating plants and majestic animals. From glowing jellyfish, over, the each very poisonous, parts of the manchineel tree, up to the fledglings of a phoenix. 

They took another turn and again the things being displayed changed. The transition was smoother this time, slower.  
Kei used what he had found to be the easiest way to get Tadashi's attention and tucked at his hand.  
With his chin he gestured towards a stall full of mysterious looking pills and powders, as well as various kinds of bones and gemstones.  
A stall run by necromancers.  
“I’ve got an order to pick up there.”  
Tadashi followed his direction and then nearly dragged Kei behind him.  
The man behind the counter was not the one Kei was familiar with but Tadashi was more than intrigued.  
The man was rather beautiful, Kei wouldn't deny that. His hair was a charcoal color, his eyes equally dark. His skin almost paper white, covered in black paint that formed patterns and symbols which meanings Kei didn't know.  
His piercing gaze was exclusively laying on Tadashi. A little alarmed, Kei squeezed his fingers and pulled him a bit closer. 

“What a surprise to see you out here, little crow.”  
The necromancer’s voice was low and monochrome. Slow, but not in a bad way. Just wise and each word carefully chosen.  
Tadashi smiled, not a nuance of concern on his face. A smidge of surprise at the most.  
“I didn't know you do stuff like this, too, Akaashi.”  
They knew each other. It explained Tadashi's eager approach and the unusual pet name.  
“Koutarou usually takes care of this but he's prevented tonight”, while saying that his eyes wandered from Tadashi's face down to their intertwined fingers and up again to Kei's face.  
Kei felt incredibly judged. As if it was being decided over his worth without him being able to do anything about it. There was a knot forming in his stomach although he didn't know what exactly unsettled him so much. That necromancer's opinion did not need to matter to him. 

“How are you two?”, Tadashi interrupted.  
Akaashi’s eyes darted back to him. A smile spread on his face and his eyes lit up. Everything intimidating about him was gone now. It left for something soft. Loving.  
“Very well, I’ve gotten lucky with him.”  
Maybe it was Kei's imagination, but he had sounded less monochrome. He did not dare to call it emotional but it might have been.  
After nodding enthusiastically, Tadashi smiled apologetically at Kei, like he was just remembering he was there as well.  
“You said you had an order to pick up?”  
The necromancer reacted before Kei could.  
“Tsukishima Kei, am I wrong?”  
What a strange way to phrase it.  
“You're not”, Kei answered.  
He reached under the counter for a small packaged wrapped in a cloth.  
He offered it to Kei with a knowing expression, “I am never.”  
Kei was reaching for his money, considering he had just one free hand, it was the most convenient way to take the package after giving that out.  
But Akaashi stopped him.  
“Consider it your payment for taking care of the little crow.” 

“Akaashi, you don't have to, I can…”, Tadashi tried to disagree but Akaashi cut him off, too.  
“Family is there to look out for each other, right?”  
Kei would read care into the small shift of his tone.  
It was a sad smile on Tadashi's face when he agreed. Kei's heart got heavier at that sight.  
He took the package but it did not feel entirely right. He wasn't sure what he had gotten himself into.  
“I will let Oikawa know that you are fine.”  
Kei knew he had heard that name somewhere before but he could not remember where.  
“Thank you, Akaashi”, Tadashi lost his confident posture.  
He pulled Kei’s hand in front of him and leaned into his side like a child trying to hide.  
Kei hadn't been prepared for that. Hours before he had scared him off badly and now he was Tadashi's safe space. For a split second Kei thought he could get used to that warmth so close to him.  
“I hope they aren't mad”, Tadashi worried.  
There was Akaashi’s soft expression again. Tender even.  
“They won’t be. They know that you could not stay”, he genuinely tried to comfort Tadashi.  
As the conversation started, Kei would have never guessed that was even possible.  
“I still just left without a word", Tadashi's was trembling, “I'm worrying them. They have to be mad.”  
Kei's heart was being torn and crushed, all at once. Worry, sympathy, his need to help a hurt soul as best as he could. 

He leaned more into their touch. Making sure Tadashi knew he was there at his side and not leaving for now.  
“I’ve got all I need”, Kei started as calm and reassuring as he could manage, “we can leave if you want to. There's a bed waiting for you and one waiting for me.”  
Tadashi’s face was still without any trace of a smile.  
“He said he is never wrong”, Kei went on, “he isn't wrong here either then. No one will be mad at you for being treated and staying safe.”  
Kei questioned if anyone was capable of never being wrong but it felt like the right thing to say.  
Tadashi closed his eyes and took a deep breath, “you're right.”  
“Of course I am”, Kei teased ironically and Tadashi relaxed noticeably.  
“Sorry, Kei.”  
“Don't say that”, he demanded. 

It was extremely subtle but Akaashi had a spark of approval in his eyes as he looked at Kei this time.  
“Get him safely to your place.”  
A personal request, not a command.  
“I will”, Kei promised.  
Akaashi turned towards Tadashi.  
“Take care, little crow.”  
After a heartfelt nod, they parted.  
Tadashi turned once to wave back at him with his free hand but then they slowly left the market behind. 

But Kei couldn't leave what happened behind. Things had been said that flooded his head, leaving no room for anything else.  
He didn't really mean to voice it but he couldn't stop himself at some point.  
“Family.”  
It was a single word but it had been one of the most outstanding tonight. He did not make it sound like a question but Tadashi knew it was.  
Tadashi's gaze wandered, not focusing on anything in particular.  
“Akaashi and I…”, he was thinking about his words, “we aren't related by blood. Family to me isn't what it is to a lot of others. I grew up learning that it's just a word for individuals that care deeply about you and that you care just as much about. Being related by blood doesn't guarantee that you mean anything to each other but a family should mean the world.”  
Another extraordinary thought in their society. Kei wondered how many other striking ones were hidden behind those curious eyes. 

They fell silent for an instant until Kei loosened his grip again a little, just to make himself more comfortable.  
Tadashi seemed to consider letting go. At least that was what Kei interpreted into the way Tadashi was looking at their hands.  
“You can let go if you want to, you know.”  
Tadashi was hesitant but kept holding on.  
“I don't want to, I just thought I might have made you uncomfortable.”  
Kei frowned, “that's not true.”  
“But I've been clutching onto you the whole night. I've only let go to pet some animals, since I've learned it kinda hurt to do it with my left after the hell flower and…”  
Kei broke off Tadashi’s messy flood of words, “do you like holding my hand?”  
Tadashi was completely caught off guard, “I do. I feel safer and not as anxious like that.”  
“Then”, Kei stated, “I don't see any reason for stopping.”  
It took a short while for Tadashi to process what just happened but once he did he smiled brightly at Kei. 

Their way back took them a bit longer. Once they were standing in the antechamber, Kei finally let go of Tadashi's hand.  
“I'll just put all the things away, go get some sleep, Tadashi.”  
Kei had just wanted to say his name but it nearly came out as a sigh at the end of the sentence. Exhaustion hit him now. His limbs were heavy and his voice softer than usual.  
Tadashi bumped into him teasingly, “I'll help, you need to sleep just as bad.”  
Kei doubted that they had been faster that way, since Tadashi didn't know where anything belonged but it was less of a bother than doing it alone. 

It was very late into the night or very early morning, however one wanted to see it, when they finally got into their beds.  
A peaceful sleep fell over them soon after, rewarding them with bewitching dreams after an eventful day of subconsciously growing closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading the biggest update I ever did on a chaptered fic! 
> 
> A quick note on the characters:  
> There will be more characters than mentioned in the tags since some will just have small parts and maybe just be there once so I don't want to mention them to avoid a complete mess in the tags.  
> I'll try to let most of the ships open to interpretation but KiyoYachi had to be obvious since I love them and I need more of them!  
> Major characters and relationships will be added as the story unfolds.


	3. Day 3: lavender and calendula

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been forever but life is rough.  
> Anyway, here have a chapter to get to know a little more about what's behind our mysterious doctor.
> 
> Enjoy your stay!

It was early noon when Kei decided to check on Tadashi. He had not heard any noises from the room Tadashi was staying in until that point.  
No signs of life whatsoever.  
Kei had already eaten breakfast. The plate he had prepared for Tadashi was sitting lonely where he had placed it. Still completely untouched.  
He opened the door just enough to get a look at the bed.  
Tadashi was laying on his stomach, his head on his forearms. He was stretched out over the entire mattress. It did not look very comfortable but he looked content. Deeply and peacefully asleep at least.  
Kei was not going to disturb him. He had owned himself some rest. It was the best for his health. 

Kei got back to the things that had piled up over the last days. He grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and wrote a list to himself of what to do.  
1\. new batch of burn care  
2\. restock bandages  
Those two were for Tadashi. They were the most important for today.  
3\. bone paste  
4\. detoxing brew  
5\. mushroom stew  
All things he needed to make out of the ingredients he had gotten last night.  
6\. painkillers?  
7\. disinfecting alcohol?  
With those he was not sure if he was in need of a restock. He had to check later today and maybe even go out to get them. They were basics that Kei could not work without.  
8\. watering and harvesting plants  
9\. clean dishes and medical equipment  
The list went on until point fifteen read, “visit mom and dad”.

He didn't know why this point seemed important to him at this specific moment but it did and it was time. 

Kei did not notice Tadashi until he spoke up. “You could've woken me up when you made breakfast.”  
A big yawn followed that sentence.  
“That's the reason I didn't”, Kei pointed at Tadashi's plate, “I can warm it up again if you want to.”  
Tadashi took the place opposite of him, sitting just as strangely on it as yesterday.  
Maybe it was just an odd habit.  
“No it's fine”, he smiled faintly, “I'm making enough trouble already.”  
Kei sighed, “I decide that.” 

Kei folded the paper neatly in the middle but left it where it was on the table before getting up.  
He went to get the glass jar he was keeping his burn treatment in. Only the bottom of it was thinly coated. It wasn't going to be enough to treat Tadashi another time.  
He placed it on the table and continued by gathering the tools he needed to make a new batch. 

“You're making new treatment for burns, right?”, Tadashi wondered out loud, “Could you teach it to me?” 

Kei turned his head to look at Tadashi. His eyes were wide with curiosity but they were dull with something dark behind them. Kei couldn't help but wonder what heavy past this flawless features must be carrying to be so full of worry at such a young age. 

Kei shrugged, “if you want me too.”  
Tadashi nodded, “it’ll be useful again one day.”  
He was expecting to be burned again, Kei assumed. A rather unsettling thought.  
Kei kneeled down in front of the book shelf and pulled out one of the wooden boxes on the ground beneath it. He didn’t have to think about which jar he needed.  
He shoved the box back into its place, before pulling out another and taking another jar. It was routine for him.  
He placed the jars on the table, so Tadashi could get a look at them.

“So what's the secret?”  
Tadashi smiled at Kei between two bites of his toast.  
Kei almost smiled back.  
“It's pretty simple”, he turned a little to gesture towards a glass box with plants on the kitchen counter, “aloe vera basically does the whole work, the rest just helps.”  
“That's a magic greenhouse”, Tadashi noted and pushed his chair back to get up.  
He walked towards it. Kei felt the urge to take a step back to give him room. There was more than enough for such a slender boy but something told Kei he needed more.  
“This one warms, doesn’t it?”, he placed a hand on the glass, “I’m only familiar with the ones that cool.” 

Kei nodded, “it creates a tropical climate, like an artificial rainforest.”  
There were actual rain clouds, hanging under its roof.  
He approached the greenhouse, while picking up the knife that was laying besides it.  
Tadashi backed off just enough to watch over his shoulder.  
He didn't have to ask, Kei just started explaining what he was doing.  
He explained that the important part of the aloe vera was the gel-like inside of the leaves and that cutting off single ones did not hurt the plant since it was able to close the wound by itself. 

As Kei returned to his seat, Tadashi went to pull his next to Kei’s.  
Kei started to peel the leaf and empty it into a bowl while continuing his explanation.  
“Aloe vera is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anesthetic and increases the blood flow in the area that it's applied to. It's perfect to heal burns so it's the base for the treatment.”  
After he finished cleaning out the leaf, he placed the mortar and pestle in front of himself and reached for the first jar. 

“What flowers are that?”  
Tadashi was leaning forward trying to take everything in like a child learning something new.  
Kei adored how much of that childish fascination Tadashi seemed to have.  
“Calendula”, Kei poured a bunch of the petals in the mortar, “it's also antibacterial and it's antiseptic. It helps the natural healing and soothes the skin.”  
Tadashi nodded, “I think, I’ve heard of that.” 

Kei meet Tadashi's eyes and gave him a smirk, “it's also essential for love potions.”  
Tadashi tried to mirror that smirk but his cheeks were flushing just enough that Kei noticed.  
“Got experience with that?”, Tadashi asked. Just confident on the first glance.  
They were still keeping eye contact. More intense than they had ever before. Kei realised that Tadashi's eyes were actually an extremely dark brown when sunlight hit them.  
Somehow he thought that it made the sorrow behind them even worse since they had so much potential to come off as happy and warm. 

Kei broke the eye contact when his rational side took over again. He had work to get done.  
However, he still decided to answer.  
“I don't really see the point”, he admitted, “I wouldn’t want a love that magic has put on someone and not I by myself. Magic would feel like a lie to me in that case.”  
“I like that way of thinking”, Tadashi was smiling to himself, “it makes love sound so much more powerful than any spell could ever be.”  
The words came steadily out of his mouth as a question.  
“Is it not?”  
Tadashi’s eyes were sparkling. It made Kei's heart hurt. They should look like this all the time.  
“I guess it is”, Tadashi agreed.

They finally returned to their task. The petals were almost ground small enough so Kei added only a half of a leaf out of the other jar.  
“What's that for?”  
Kei replied, “it’s comfrey. It encourages cell reproduction so wounds heal faster. But it has to be used very cautiously. If a big amount is used on deep wounds, it can cause the surface to heal faster than the inside. Wounds have to be extremely clean if comfrey is used, as well, or dirt could be sealed under skin.”  
Tadashi flinched, intuitively pulling his left forearm in front of his chest.  
“That sounds horrible.”

Kei got up from his chair to get a few blossoms of the lavender that was hanging upside down above the kitchen counter.  
“That's why I use so little of it.” He returned to throw them in the mortar, as well. “Your burn for example is big but rather shallow. No nerves have been damaged and you had cleaned it even before I did. More could have been helpful for you. For someone with a smaller burn that goes deeper, where it has damaged nerves, more could be dangerous. Burns need immediate care, which means I can't have patients wait until I made a batch specifically for them, so I just use an amount that anyone can handle.”

“What does the lavender do?”  
Tadashi was making sure he did not miss a single detail.  
“Honestly not much”, Kei confessed, “it’s just relaxing for the person wearing it. It’s not necessary but it does help.”  
Kei finished grounding and poured the mixture from the mortar into the bowl of aloe vera gel. With a spoon he mixed the ingredients together. Once mixed, he raised the spoon above the bowl and let the gel run down to test the consistency.  
“That's thicker than what you used before”, Tadashi commented.  
“We're gonna thin it out with some water”, Kei responded before doing said.  
Again he mixed and tested the consistency to find it exactly right. With a pleased expression he started scooping it into the glass jar where the remains of the treatment were stored.

Tadashi had put his right elbow on the table, resting his head in his palm.  
“How do you remember all this?”  
“Practice”, Kei answered simply, “and a place to look up what I don't remember.”  
He moved over to the bookshelf and pulled out a big, heavy book. Pieces of paper stuck out between the pages. He placed it in front of Tadashi, who ran his fingers over the old leather cover. A pentagram was engraved on it as well as Kei's full name in crooked letters.  
Before sitting back down, Kei let out a quick laugh, “I wasn't the most talented back then.”  
No one had seen that book besides himself in years but somehow he did not mind showing it to Tadashi. He knew that Tadashi was going to be careful with it.  
“How old were you?”  
Tadashi looked up. His gaze caught Kei's and kept it.  
“Twelve”, a challenging grin appeared on Kei’s face, “Try to open it.” 

Tadashi raised an eyebrow and opened the book on a random page without any problems.  
“It's soulbound”, Kei pulled the book more towards himself and closed it.  
He placed his hand on the pentagram, took a deep breath and channelled his energy into the inside of his hand like he had learned when he had gotten the book.  
For a second the pentagram lit up blue.  
“Try again”, he challenged Tadashi, pushing the book back to him.

He tried again. This time blue and gold sparks flew between his fingertips and the book. He did not even dare to touch it.  
Kei had never seen gold ones in there but again it had been forever since someone had tried to touch it, maybe it was just reacting stronger than usual.  
Kei put his hand back on the cover and it stopped immediately.  
Tadashi's eyes were full of astonishment.  
“You can use magic?”, he sounded confused, “I thought you're human.”  
Kei's smile grew softer, until it stopped entirely for distant look right into nowhere.  
“I am and I can't. I grew up right where human science and witchcraft meet. This was a gift, specifically made for me to use. It's a book of shadows, all magic is in there already you just have to know how to use it.”  
He softly reached for Tadashi's right hand. He maneuvered his hand so his fingertips rested in the pages of the closed book.  
His bumping heart told Kei that they were dangerously close. It was pathetic.  
“Think of the page you want to read. It'll tell you which it is.”  
Tadashi took a deep breath so Kei let go of his hand.  
He opened the book. The top of the page read “how to treat a burn” in Kei's neat handwriting.

“Why could I open it the first time?”  
Tadashi raised his eyes from the book again.  
“You mean no harm to me. Apparently you got pure intentions. It didn't sense you as a threat to my person.” 

Kei felt like Tadashi was staring into his soul so he decided to distract him.  
“I should change your bandages again.”  
He offered his hand, it was becoming a gesture that Tadashi followed without hesitation.  
He was in the middle of unwrapping his arm when it knocked on the door.  
“Can you finish that yourself?”  
With a nod Tadashi took over and Kei went to open the door. 

On the other site stood a young man. He looked hardly over 20. His clothes reminded Kei of the uniforms high rank angels wore, with the difference of colour. They were a pearl white, this man was dressed in a blue as dark as the night.  
Kei had seen that face but He could not figure out where.  
A smile appeared on the man's face. It was supposed to look friendly, Kei assumed, but it looked more like a silent prayer. 

“I've been told you're harboring someone I need to see.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> I'm kinda sorry for the cliffhanger, kinda not.
> 
> Fun Fact:  
> Kei's medical knowledge is mostly based on wiccan beliefs and witchcraft like it is still practiced today. Kei has no magic abilities of any sort but he is very good at using the healing energy that lies within things naturally. As well as the actual medical purpose of these herbs.  
> The mixture he's using here would actually help with burns in our world as well.  
> But of course Kei would always advice to seek actual medical help for injuries!


	4. Day 3: and now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy the second part to the last chapter!  
> And happy new year everyone!
> 
> Btw Kei spitting out sarcastic jokes everytime he gets uncomfortable is a big mood

Kei was not moving a bit. He did not know what to expect so he stayed cautious.  
“I don’t think that's…”  
Tadashi interrupted him before he could finish, “it's fine, Kei, let him pass.”  
Kei obliged, again feeling the urge to leave a lot more space for the man than he would need with his built. 

Kei closed the door behind him as the man approached Tadashi.  
Tadashi had gotten up, he was standing there silently, his left arm behind his back.  
He was making himself smaller than he was, but it did not look like a reaction out of fear. It rather looked like guilt.  
Kei was staying where he was, carefully keeping an eye on the man.  
He stopped only a few steps from Tadashi who kept his eyes low, avoiding anyone’s gaze.  
For a moment the man just silently looked at Tadashi as if he was waiting for a sign to continue. The sign did not occur. Instead he stretched his arm out towards Tadashi’s left side.

Without thinking Kei took a step forward. His heart was growing heavy with the sight but he had no idea what to do about it. He felt out of place. Like he was not part of the scene.  
“How bad is it, Tadashi?”  
The man's voice was softer than earlier.  
Tadashi’s eyes darted up to his oposite's face. He pushed his arm further behind his back.  
Kei's own home had never felt more unfamiliar.  
“It's fine”, Tadashi caught Kei's gaze over the shoulder between them, “Kei can deal with it. It's going to heal.”  
“Eventually”, he added after a short pause.

The man sighed softly, before stepping to the side a little to open up the view for Kei. He appeared to be trying his best to be as considerate as possible.  
“It's going to scar badly if you just treat it with human medicine.”  
His tone was so full of care that Kei wondered if he was still the same man that knocked at the door.  
He had something intimidating about him just then. Now he seemed soft and genuine. 

“I can live with a reminder like that.”  
Kei had no idea Tadashi was capable of sounding so cold.  
“But I can't”, the man snapped, “I can't live an eternity with proof that I missed another time to protect you. Neither can Suga.”  
“Tooru, I…”, Tadashi whispered in an attempt to make him stop. His eyes were starting to water. Kei could tell by the way they reflected light.  
“You're his light. My anchor. We can't watch you pay for even more sins that aren’t yours. You're too young to say you can live with things that we cannot bear although we're centuries older.” 

Kei could hear Tadashi sniff, before he ran his right hand over his eyes to prevent the tears from running.  
Tadashi was helplessly searching for a spark of something in the man's eyes. Tooru’s eyes.  
The first piece clicked into place in Kei's mind. Tadashi had used that name. Yesterday towards the shapeshifter. He had said something about being his student.  
This was not the kind of relationship between a student and teacher that Kei was used to.  
There appeared to be hardly a difference in age of a couple of years. But he did say something about being centuries older.  
Kei’s mind was running but he could not put more pieces together. His mind was fogged somehow. It was like someone had turned all the pieces to the wrong side. Kei was looking at the cardboard back trying to finish a puzzle without knowing the picture it was meant to form. 

Tooru raised his left hand slowly until he was touching Tadashi's cheek. Tadashi softly leaned into the touch.  
“Tada-chan, I am sorry for snapping. I was just so worried since you’ve left”, Tooru was barely loud enough for Kei to understand.  
There was something so loving about that nickname that it made Kei think of the way his mother used to call his name on his birthday to wake him up.  
He was surprised that he could even form that thought.  
Tadashi sniffed again, “you have all right to be angry.”  
He finally let his posture fall. His arm not longer hidden. The burn was contrasting his grey clothes and tan skin.  
His palm was still wrapped. Kei would have to take care of that cut again later as well.

Tooru shook his head.  
“I don't. I'm frustrated with myself not with you”, he turned his head so he could look at Kei for a moment, “you made a good choice and we want you save. I just wish that didn't mean you had to be away from us.”  
Kei wondered about who was behind that “we” and what or who was the reason that Tadashi was safer with him than the people close to him.

“At least let my fix this.”  
One hand still on Tadashi's cheek, he raised the other, Tadashi's wrist loosely in it. For a moment he just fixated the burn. His features were heavy with concern, hurt and frustration.  
Tadashi tried to give him a smile like he had done when Kei treated his cut.  
“It doesn’t hurt anymore. Kei took great care of it.”  
It was a mystery to Kei why he tried to comfort the people that felt bad for him. He, himself was the one that should need comfort. Yet, he put others first.

Tooru let his hand slide back until it was resting on Tadashi's neck. He took a step forward, opening his mouth slightly, leaning his head to the side.  
For a split second Kei would have sworn that he saw white smoke rising from a corner of Tooru's mouth.  
Kei's heart felt like it was about to jump out of his chest.  
His mind was fogging up even more.  
It felt wrong; out of place.  
He wasn't supposed to feel like this.  
Tadashi's and Tooru's face were getting closer. Only centimeters apart. Tadashi had pressed his eyes shut, his mouth was open just wide enough to take deep steady breaths through it. 

The ground beneath Kei's feet was starting to move.  
The room around him was spinning.  
If Kei wouldn't have known better, it would have looked like Tooru and Tadashi were kissing.  
But they were not.  
Their faces were dangerously close but they were not touching.  
It was getting hard for Kei to keep standing up.  
Not once in his life had he been this dizzy.  
He almost caught himself thinking that passing out must be the better option.  
The easier one at least.  
His eyes went in and out of focus.  
One moment Tadashi's features were crystal clear, the next they were milky and blurry. 

As steady as he could manage, Kei shifted backwards until he could feel the door pressing into his back.  
He let himself slide down. Sitting down, he leaned his head back, closing his eyes in an attempt to make the world stop moving.  
Kei felt pathetic.

Maybe Tadashi had called his name. His voice was miles away. Too distant for Kei to understand properly.  
This time Tooru talked.  
“You are doing this.”  
Somehow Kei knew that was meant for Tadashi. It still did not add up in his head.  
Kei opened his eyes just enough to look at them. They had parted.  
“You're keeping such a high glamour up not even I can see them.”

Tooru reached past Tadashi’s side for the air behind him and somehow looked like he had met something solid.  
“His mind can't process it. You're using so much magic that he can sense it in every inch of the room but it's there to hide things from him. You must be deconstructing the whole house in his head.” 

Guilt and remorse.  
Kei jotted down the expression on Tadashi's face in his mind.  
He didn't like it.  
Kei had heard Tooru clearly but his brain couldn't fill the words with meaning.  
“I didn't mean to hurt him like that.”  
Tadashi took a hesitant step towards Kei.  
“I’m sure he knows that”, Tooru turned fully towards Kei, “but you could just show him, I think you owe him an explanation anyway.” 

Tadashi took another step forward. His arms were hanging down his sides.  
A contrast was missing.  
All Kei knew for sure in this moment was that he did not want Tadashi to feel pressured to tell him anything.  
He gave Tadashi a smile. Or at least tried to. He didn't know if it had been successful.  
“You don't have to, Tadashi”, Kei’s voice shook slightly.

“But I want to”, Tadashi demanded, his steps getting more confident until he finally kneeled down in front of Kei.  
He cupped Kei's face in both of his hands, pushing his glasses up slightly with his thumbs that stroked Kei's temples.  
Tadashi's gaze was more captivating than any Kei had seen before.  
His eyes were slightly red from the tears that had been in them moments ago.  
Subconsciously, Kei picked up the pace of Tadashi's breaths. He concentrated his energy on the places Tadashi's fingertips met his skin.

His mind cleared up with every breath they took simultaneously.  
For the blink of an eye, the world went black around Kei. It returned slowly in colours and shapes until he could see clearly again, as if his eyes had to get used to light.

He met a pair of dark brown eyes with a much bigger iris than before. A dark layer spread across them, tinting the white a light grey and dulling the brown.  
Tadashi drew his face back a little. His freckles were glowing in a warm gold.  
More than ever, did Tadashi remind Kei of the stars.  
Tadashi let go of Kei’s face but before he could withdraw his hands completely, Kei got hold of his left wrist.  
Tadashi patiently waited for a reaction from Kei who absentmindedly ran his thumb over his wrist like he had when he checked the temperature of the burn.

Kei had tilted his head slightly to the left, letting his eyes wander over the pair of big black wings on Tadashi's back.  
Countless puzzle pieces suddenly fit into place.  
The gawky movements, the strange posture when sitting, the wealthy clothes, Kei's urge to leave him more space. Even the necromancer’s nickname.  
But there was something that didn't.

“You probably don't know but they teach human children to watch out for angels”, Kei went back to Tadashi's eyes, “they tell sorrowful stories of how free we must have been before them.”  
Tadashi's eyes were getting sad but Kei continued, “I remember my teacher telling me that those angels with wings like ravens were the most dangerous.” He chuckled quietly; rather to himself.  
“I always thought she was wrong with a bunch of things she said”, he smirked, “I probably have never met someone I found to be less dangerous than you, Tadashi.”

Tadashi smiled for the first time since Tooru had arrived. It wasn't one of his radiating smiles but this was still better than any expression since then.  
“I’m glad to hear that.”  
It sounded genuinely relieved.  
Kei understood now what made him try to hide so thoroughly. His reaction could have been extremely negative.  
At the same time it was dangerous not to tell a doctor.

“You should've told me, so I could've medicated you right. What If I had given you some of the necromantic drugs I use with ingredients that are bad for you? They would have hurt you even though my human kind couldn't.”  
Angels were immune to any non magical dangers. Normal blades could not cut them, diseases that killed millions of humans and other species could not affect them, without help from outside, no human could harm them.  
Kei had that help from outside for certain aspects. Of course not to intentionally cause harm but used wrong, they still could.  
“I’m sorry, Kei”, Tadashi mumbled, “I didn't think about that.”  
The rhetorical question, made Tadashi's guilt even worse. It was a good thing to Kei for once, he had to make clear that Tadashi should not be this reckless. 

Kei finally decided to inspect what he had picked up on earlier, even in his delirious state.  
Tadashi's left forearm was completely healed. There was nothing that gave away that it had been burned. The only hint that anything had happened was the bandage around his palm.  
Kei took his free hand to unwrap it.  
It was unscathed.  
He ran his hand up and down Tadashi's forearm once to see if it had just healed on the surface but it felt completely normal. 

Apparently Tooru had gotten closer and was now looking down at them.  
“I’m a fast healer”, he explained, “but I’m limited in what I can do. I can only heal wounds when I know exactly what caused them. It's also extremely draining. I couldn't help just anyone like you do.”

Now that Kei's brain was working the way it was supposed to again, he had put the pieces he had about Tooru together as well.  
Oikawa Tooru.  
His wings exceeded Tadashi's in size. They were as white as feathers could get.  
Kei knew now where he had seen that face and heard that name.  
He was one of Lucifer's seraphim so he was documented in some of the history books humans wrote.  
He was the youngest. Too young to have participated in war but old enough to have been the last to gain Lucifer's trust like that.  
There wasn't much written about him besides his name and his position. Some books had paintings but that was all Kei had ever seen.  
He wasn't only the youngest but the least well known.  
“Well, you did do better work than I could have”, Kei responded finally.

Tadashi shifted his body until he was sitting cross legged on the ground. He was smiling but his eyes were filling with tears again.  
His voice cracked when he spoke up, “and what now?”  
Kei's heart would shatter if he ever had to watch Tadashi truly cry.  
He adjusted his glasses, looking at the ground between them.

“You don't have to leave.”  
Kei would help any lost soul as best as he could, he had sworn himself that on the day he became a lost soul with noone there to help him.  
Tadashi was in need of help. It did not matter that it was not medical care anymore.  
“I don't want to be any more of a burden than I already am”, Tadashi stated, his voice low but surprisingly steady.

“You are a lot more of a burden if you keep getting hurt than if you're staying safe here", Kei flashed a cheeky grin at Tadashi, “I don't even have to cook your breakfast anymore, it's cold until you get up anyway.”  
Oikawa was laughing at that before Tadashi was.  
“Suga gave up on making him breakfast a long time ago. That kid sleeps in until noon anyway.”  
Tadashi was blushing but laughing as well.  
“You could just wake me, you know.” 

Tooru put his hand on Kei's shoulder, still obviously amused.  
“There is one rule to living with Tada-chan: don't disturb his sleep. I'm a quarter of a millenium and I have never seen a grumpier creature.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some lore to understand the chapter and upcoming ones better for those who care:
> 
> In this universe Lucifer isn't the devil like we know him. He might be reffered to as such later but he only carries small characteristics of that figure.  
> The Lucifer here is closer to the greek or roman understanding of the figure. Lucifer is the personification of the morning star, and in this case ultimately the first angel.  
> Being immortal he still reigns over all angels. The angels within themselves have a hierachy that is based of christian beliefs of the hierachy below god. Lucifer takes god's spot in this case, making Tooru the second highest rank. Right below Lucifer himself.
> 
> *I don't think Tooru is getting away that well in this chapter but I promise he has a thought out background as well as Suga, it'll reveal itself with time* 
> 
> Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it!


	5. Day 4: Persephone's puppy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been 5 months but I'm still alive. This is still my little baby and I will keep writing this. I had a lot of trouble with this chapter and completely overthought it until I didn't want to write it anymore.  
> Here have this little something that is a sweet little reminder that these two are still a thing.

Tadashi was laying on his stomach in the gras, his wings spread out to full size, letting the sun warm the pitch black feathers.   
Kei sat cross legged on the ground in front of him. He was shamelessly staring at the angel just an arm length away. 

An angel. An actual angel. One of Persephone’s angels. 

Humans are taught a certain kind of respect for angels. A kind of self protection because they do not stand a single chance against even the weakest angel.   
There really was no point in rebellion and humans had stopped trying decades ago.   
Life was not as bad as it used to be under Lucifer’s reign. No humans were left from before, not even from the harder times. It was nothing but history to Kei.

What they get taught about Persephone's angels was beyond respect. It was rather a deep rooted fear of something humans could not explain. 

“Tadashi, you weren't surprised when I told you humans get warned about your kind.”   
It was an observation but Kei hoped Tadashi would understand that it was a question. 

Tadashi sat up in a fluid motion yet it did not look quite as elegant as Kei would have expected an angel to move. He had been even kind of clumsy while trying to hide his wings. Kei found it almost endearing.  
“Well”, he started, his voice steady but distant, “it isn't surprising. It's not like that's exclusively a human thing.”  
He shrugged and somehow it was the saddest shrug Kei had ever witnessed.   
“I'm used to it.” 

Silence hung between them but Kei did not feel like he was in the position to talk yet. 

Their eyes met as Tadashi looked up at Kei again. The glamour on his face was the only part he had kept up since Oikawa had left yesterday. 

Oikawa Tooru, out of all creatures, had stood in his antechamber telling him the boy across from him was a grumpy mess in the morning.  
It was completely absurd. Kei would have laughed at anyone telling him that would happen one day. 

Kei wondered why the face. Neither the eyes nor the glowing freckles would really give Tadashi's identity away. He had seen even humans do stranger things to their appearance.   
Unlike that, his wings were foolproof evidence. 

Tadashi shifted his weight a little, stretching his wings the slightest bit.   
Kei had been staring.   
Obviously staring and now that he realised he turned his gaze away.   
Heat creeped up his cheeks while he adjusted his glasses.

“It's not necessarily considered good luck to have my kind around”, Tadashi said, finally breaking the now awkward silence.   
He seemed to consider his next words for a moment before asking, “so what's the daunting legend humans tell?”

A mocking curiosity spoke out of Tadashi and Kei decided he could play that game himself. 

Kei dramatically pulled his glasses down the bridge of his nose and cleared his throat, which immediately got rewarded with a grin from his counterpart. 

In his best exaggerated tutor voice he began:   
“A long time ago, when angels first came down to earth, their trust in their own power grew and grew with every victory. Until earth didn't seem like enough for the greediest of them. One especially blinded individual opened the gates to hell, thinking that if they could conquer this realm, the underworld would be another easy addition.

A small army went down to explore the empire.  
No earthling would have made that mistake but the angels were naive enough to underestimate Persephone's power. 

Persephone was too mighty to let a fight even arise. She lured the angels in to her home with promises of wealth beyond heaven and earth and greedy by nature they listened.   
All of her creatures told beautiful lies and played a vicious game behind their back until the angels were deeply in love with her. 

Their biggest wish was becoming one of her own and Persephone granted that wish. She cursed them, made them her slaves and sent them back out to spread their words of praise for her.   
She thought she had gotten rid of them well enough but they returned over and over no matter how often she ordered them away but some of her demons had taken a liking in them so she let them have their way with them.

They taught them their devilish magic, let them in on their secrets.   
An unfortunate day the first child was born from their bond.   
Their wings were the ones of ravens, their eyes demonic, their insides full evil. Devils with faces like angels. Creatures beyond heaven or hell. 

Persephone, of course, found out about the pure might that laid within them and gave them her blessing.   
So after all, instead of breaking her reign the angels gave her a gift with a destructive force no creature ever knew before.” 

Tadashi had listened carefully throughout the whole story and now leaned his head to the side in wonder.   
“So you don't believe that?”   
Kei pushed his glasses back into place and shook his head.  
“I don't.”   
“It's not true”, Tadashi stated.”  
“I figured.” 

“How come you say that name so easily?”  
Tadashi's eyes were sparkling with something that Kei read as respect.   
Kei subconsciously placed his hand on his sternum. An old habit of his.   
“I don't think there's a point in fearing it.” 

“What about fearing me?”   
Tadashi was pushing it but Kei did not mind. He would have mind in other circumstances but there was something so raw about it and so vulnerable about Tadashi that Kei couldn't help but go with it.

“I told you already yesterday”, he answered calmly, “there's nothing intimidating about you. I would've been sceptic if I would've known immediately what you are but I didn't. I got to know who you are and you're about as scary as a puppy so this doesn't change anything.” 

Tadashi's face lit up like rays of sunshine in the gap of clouds.   
Kei could only think of cheesy ways to describe it and he wished his heart would stop melting every time.   
For a split second Tadashi's eyes flickered.

“Tadashi”, Kei smirked as he now had his full attention, “I think your demon eyes are gorgeous, you don't have to hide them.” 

Tadashi blushed furiously. All the way from one tip of his ear across his nose to the other other. Kei caught him so off guard his glamour fell enough to make his freckles glow.   
A victorious smile appeared on Kei’s face. That had worked just the way He wanted it to. 

From somewhere in front of the house a girl called out Kei’s name. He got up and immediately turned around. His heart was about to beat out of his chest. He had won but he had not thought about just how cute these freckles would look on his flustered face.   
He had not Heard a single noise from behind him so after a couple steps he called for Tadashi.   
He finally heard him get up and follow behind.  
“Where did that even come from?” 

“Revenge for the midnight market”, Kei noted.  
Tadashi whined in response, “you asked and I can't lie, Kei.”  
“I know.” Kei turned his head to look at him over his shoulder. “And to keep things fair, I won't lie either.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kei's gay is starting to show.   
> I hope you liked this chapter! I thought a lot about whether or not I liked the idea of giving the underworld to Persephone when I relied on somewhat christian symbolism in other parts but her character just fits too perfectly and you'll find out why!
> 
> I also have a [Twitter](https://mobile.twitter.com/dreaminginmint) if you'd like to hear me cry about fictional character!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it and thank you so much for reading!


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